After All
by freedomatthesea
Summary: A little PWP of Hook and Emma after she finds Neal. Enjoy!


"It's going to be alright," Killian whispered into Emma's hair, his arms wrapped around her in a way that he had never once imagined she'd allow him to hold her. Not after the beanstalk when she shoved him away after she saved him or even more recently after she'd knocked him out with the compass at the lagoon. His alliance was misplaced in her eyes, but fundamentally he was in it for himself. Everything he'd done up until this point was meant to further his own gains, not help anyone else.

Until now.

On a whim (or so he claimed that it was) he chose to leave Storybrooke and follow the blond haired lie detector wherever it was that she was going. After nearly three hundred years of following Rumplestiltskin's movements, following Emma had been a breeze. But what she had found in the city was seemingly not what she had planned.

"Care to talk about it love?" He spoke softly, running his hand up and down her arm with a reassuring squeeze. He didn't know how to handle a woman in a state like this, it had been three hundred years since he'd had to hold Milah and he feared he'd fall short of what she needed. He _feared_? Was he honestly going soft?

He was certain he was going soft when she tilted her face up to look at him and the red trails of tears that stained her cheeks made his heart ache in an unfamiliar way. "I feel like an idiot." Emma wiped at her cheeks and shrugged away from him slightly. It wasn't Hook's fault and she hoped he saw it that way. This had nothing to do with him and the fact that she suddenly found herself wanting his touch on her back again. There were far too many other things to be worried about. Like Neal.

"You're not an idiot lass, everyone needs to cry now and then." He nudged her gently. "I've even been known to shed a tear or two."

Emma cracked a small smile, laughing softly. "Why are you here?" She groaned slightly, rubbing her cheeks to wipe tears away again.

"Ah, I'll answer that later. You tell me why you're crying."

"Neal."

"Who-" Killian closed his mouth as he searched her eyes, "The man that broke your heart?"

"How did-"

"The same way you knew about Gold killing Milah." He replied in a quiet voice, reaching his hand up to brush strands of hair behind her shoulder. His eyes drifted to her lips for a half second and he pulled himself away from that thought. She was damaged goods just like he was and he wasn't going to ruin what little they had – if anything – because he felt like it.

There was actually more admiration for her than he was willing to accept. "So tell me about what happened."

"I didn't even stick around that long… but." Emma shook her head, leaning forward and pressing her forehead against his shoulder to hide her face. "I was wrong all this time and I know now, more than ever, that that part of my life was a huge mistake." She shivered with a sob. "I would really like if I'd stop crying."

"You'll stop eventually lass." Killian brushed his knuckles over her cheek. "Just think about someone punching him. Socking him a good one in the jaw." He was amused by how quickly her demeanor changed and she smiled at him. Her smile was entrancing.

"So why are you here?"

Killian shrugged, "I followed you here." Before she could respond he continued, "And good thing I did! Look at you, you'd be a mess if I weren't here."

"Oh? You don't think I could just buck it up and carry on if you weren't here?" She rolled her eyes and scoffed. The fact that he'd followed her should have bothered her, but at the same time it filled her heart with a strange sense of happiness. So many contrasting emotions in one afternoon.

"Killian you don't have to stay here with me."

His eyes widened, "Say it again." He whispered, leaning towards her slightly, listening to her voice as she spoke again.

"_Killian_." She replied, swallowing back the lump in her throat as he leaned closer.

"Swan…" He breathed out, cupping her cheek. "Emma." Their noses brushed and he hesitated, searching her eyes for permission. Gods, she wanted him to kiss her too. She hadn't been reading the signs all wrong.

Emma returned the kiss, her fingers cupping the back of his head gently. She'd never imagined that she would kiss him, not after everything, but part of her knew that everything he had done was because of the woman whose name was on his arm.

Emma pulled back from the kiss, blinking back her confusion. Not over what happened, but what she felt inside. She met his eyes, surprised to see that look again. She had once mistaken it for being a look he gave everyone, but now she was certain it was for her and her alone. "Why did you betray me?"

"It was never intentional." Killian sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I was on your side right up until the moment that there was a cuff on my wrist and a very attractive blond walking away from me." His voice lowered as he kept his gaze on her. "I came off the beanstalk and there was Cora." His jaw set hard when he saw her flinch. "I was never on her side, it was just there. It was an option to get me what I wanted."

"You could ha-"

"She would have killed me and defeated everything I have worked three hundred years for." Killian clenched his fist. "I was on your side Emma, I was actually willing to…" He shook his head.

"What?"

Killian laughed harshly, "I was convinced for the first time in three hundred years there was something better out there than just revenge."

Emma stared at him, suddenly realizing that though her idea of Neal had been strewn by lies, her idea of Killian had been likewise. He wasn't out to purposely harm her, she was just in the way of his goal. "Killian I…"

"I want no apologies, just know this..." He closed his eyes for a moment before meeting her gaze again. "Cora gave me a favor when we made it to town."

"_What_?" She instantly judged him wondering what heinous things could be in town.

"Calm down, Swan." Killian tsked, "I asked her to not harm you or your family."

Emma wiped tears away from her cheeks, "Be quiet and don't talk Killian." She muttered as she leaned in to kiss him again, humming as she tasted her salty tears on his lips. She could lose herself in the sensation of his lips on hers. But once again, it was she who broke the kiss.

"I shouldn't…" She whispered, closing her eyes and pulling away from him. "I need to get back to Storybrooke and figure out…" Emma shook her head, surprised as Hook slipped his arm behind her back. "Killian?"

"I'm going back with you."

"It's a bit unsafe isn't it?" Killian jested, toying with her hair. "After all, I'm a villain."

"I think you're a hero in disguise."

Killian laughed, "You have no idea."


End file.
